College news
• Two local students have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants. Theresa Chockbengboun, a graduating senior biology major at Marlboro College, will be teaching English at a university in Laos while pursuing research opportunities in public health. Luke Drabyn of Grafton, a member of the Class of 2015 at Bowdoin College with a major in government/legal studies and Russian, will study and conduct research in Ukraine.
• Sarah Harlow of Putney and Amy Blazej of Windham were both named to the Dean's List for the spring 2015 semester at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H.
Obituaries
• Milton W. Bellows, 77, of Westminster. Died May 4 in Gloucester, Va., after a 23-year struggle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Husband of Patricia (Racine) Bellows for nearly 54 years. Father of Eric and his wife, Jamie, of Gloucester County, Va., and Douglas, of Westminster. Born in Bellows Falls, he grew up in Alstead, N.H., and graduated from Vilas High School in 1955. He served in the Air Force from 1955 to 1959. He was a Mason for 54 years and thrice Past Master of St.Paul's Masonic Lodge of Alstead /Langdon. He loved his antique cars and restored a 1954 Packard Caribbean. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at Christ's Church in Saxtons River on Saturday, June 6, at 11 a.m. Donations to the Oncology Clinic at Springfield Hospital, 25 Ridgewood Rd., Springfield VT 05156.
• Iris Lee Bronson, 87, of Brattleboro. Died May 13 at Pine Heights Nursing Home. Wife of Hugh Bronson for 66 years. Mother of Keith Bronson of Whitingham, Kathy Welch of South Royalton, Marsha Froburg of Haverhill, Mass., and Kimberly Gauthier of Lynchburg, Va. Sister of Nancy Long of Brattleboro. Born in Halifax, the daughter of the late Robert and Minola (Bird) Allen, she was a graduate of Jacksonville High School, Class of 1945, and went on to attend the Henry Bishop III Memorial School of Nursing in Pittsfield, Mass., where she earned her R.N. degree in 1948. She served in the U.S. Cadet Nurses Corps just prior to 1945. She was a resident of Brattleboro for the past 50 years and had worked as a sales associate at the former B. Robinson Store for a number of years. She also served as a chaperone for Miss Vermont in 1977-1978 for the Miss America Pageant held in Atlantic City. She was a volunteer for several years in the coffee shop at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and also served as a volunteer at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. She enjoyed gardening, reading, Dixieland music, playing bridge, and cross country skiing. Additionally, she especially enjoyed time shared with her family. Memorial information: In accordance with her final wishes, no formal funeral services are scheduled. Donations to Visiting Nurses Association/Hospice of Vermont & New Hampshire, P.O. Box 976, White River Jct., VT 05001-0976.
• Alfred E. “Big Alfie” Devereaux Jr., 84, of Wardsboro. Died while on his yearly winter vacation in Gulf Shores, Ala. He is survived by his two children, Christie and Alfred, five grandchildren, and his long-time partner, Cindy. He was predeceased by his former wife, Gloria. He had a very active life. He was a veteran of World War II, and spent many years in the shipping business. After retiring, he ran an air commuter service, established an apple orchard in Vermont, and worked as a mechanic. His last and most recent endeavor was to assist his long-time partner, Cindy, with a restaurant and the distribution of homemade pies to local campgrounds in his Model T Huckster wagon. The campers would always anxiously await “The Pieman.” He loved his winter vacations in southern climates. Memorial information: None provided.
• Hubert P. “Herb” Donahue, 82, of Brattleboro. Died May 11 at his home, following a period of declining health. Husband of Shirley (Smith) Donohue for nearly 58 years. Father of James Donahue and his wife, Colleen, of Franklin, Mass.; Deborah Desrosiers and her husband, Mark, of Brattleboro; and the late Mary Elizabeth Donohue. Brother of Nancy Gaudet of Meriden, Conn. Born in Hartford, Conn., the son of Hubert and Mary (Quinn) Donahue, he was raised and educated in Hartford where he graduated from William Hall High School of West Hartford. He furthered his education at Hillyer College in Hartford where he majored in business administration. He received his certificate from the Hartford Institute of Accounting, and furthered his banking knowledge through the American Institute of Banking. He served in the Air Force from 1950 until his honorable discharge in 1955. He was stationed both stateside and in Japan. He worked at Vermont National Bank in August 1969 as assistant cashier and officer in charge of banking services at the Main Street office in Brattleboro. He brought with him 12 years of banking experience. He started his banking career at the First National Bank of Manchester, Conn., and later moved on to the Hartford National Bank and Trust Company where he held the position of assistant manager at the Manchester Green branch. In December 1981, he was promoted to assistant vice president at Vermont National Bank, and in November 1984, he was promoted to vice president and regional manager. In April 1988, he became regional vice president of the Southern Region. His community and civic involvement was extensive. He was a member of the Existing Industries Committee of the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce and a Brattleboro Town Meeting Representative for District 3. He was also member of the Water Advisory Committee, Board of Listers, Town Finance Committee, and Capital Review Committee He was a past member of the Brattleboro Rotary Club, past president of the Brattleboro Kiwanis Club, board member and chairman of the Allocations Committee for the United Way, and a past director of the Brattleboro Winter Carnival. He was an avid golfer and longtime member of the Brattleboro Country Club. He was very proud of his Irish heritage. He loved Ireland and visited the Emerald Isle many times in search of his family roots. He also enjoyed reading, history, and time shared with his family. He was a communicant of Saint Michael's Roman Catholic Church. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held May 16 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, with burial with full military honors in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Atamaniuk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
• Henry Dunham Jr., 62, of Ocala, Fla. Died April 27 in Ocala after a short period of failing health. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Henry Dunham of Hinsdale, N.H., he grew up in the area and attended school in Putney and Brattleboro. He loved to spend his time bowling and riding his motorcycle. He made his home in Ocala for more than 30 years and worked for Bud Even in the restaurant business in Ocala. Survivors include two sisters, Pat of Manchester, N.H., and Judy of Charlestown, N.H.; two brothers, Jerry of Guilford and Roger of Skiatook, Okla. His mother, and a son, Michael Dunham, died earlier. Memorial information: Services were held at Florida Cremation in Ocala.
• Suzanne Thrasher Gardner, 72, of Nantucket, Mass., Died April 3 at Nantucket Cottage Hospital after a bout with cancer, three days shy of her 73rd birthday. She was born in Bellows Falls, the daughter of the late Charles and Elizabeth Thrasher. She graduated from Bellows Falls High School and married Charles “Jack” Gardner of Nantucket, Mass., in 1964. Together, they raised seven children. She was the Nantucket High School librarian, an active leader in the community, a talented needlepoint artist, an avid reader, and loved by those who knew her. Memorial information: A funeral service was held April 11 at the First Congregational Church on Nantucket.
• The Rev. Mary Haas, 89, of Alstead, N.H. Died May 10 at Springfield Hospital. Wife of Charles Haas and the late Leon Goodell. Mother of Carolee Murchie, Marien Gage, Gordon Goodell, Dorothy Hescock, John Goodell, LeAnn Winter, Richard Haas, and the late Alfred Goodell. Sister of the late Shirley Goodrich. Born to the late LeRoy Moses Lake and Marien (Charland) Lake of Brentwood, N.H., she attended Sanborn Academy in Exeter, N.H. She was a member of the Cadet Nurse Corps in World War II. She was a proud, active member of Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls, where she was ordained a deacon June 2003. She ran the Greater Falls Community Kitchen for 25 years from 1989 to 2014. She worked at Sylvania in Hillsborough, N.H., Walpole Wire in North Walpole, N.H., and McGuir's Nursing Home in Bellows Falls. She was a loving wife, mother, and Oma (grandmother). Memorial information: A funeral service was held May 15 at Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls. Donations to the Alstead Food Shelf, either monetary, non-perishable food items, or health and beauty aids.
• Helen (Schmidt) Kennedy, 88, formerly of Pittsfield, Vt., and Quakertown, Pa. Died May 9 at Cedar Hill Continuing Care in Windsor, after a prolonged illness. Wife of the late John Kennedy for 64 years. Mother of Lynn Kennedy of Bellows Falls and Lisa McGinley and her husband, Mark, of Magnolia, Texas. She was born in Philadelphia, the only child of German immigrants, the late Herman and Marie (Hubert) Schmidt. She enjoyed a lively childhood with her parents and their many German friends which included playing music, dancing and picnicking in Pennypacker Park. She graduated from Frankfurt High School in Philadelphia in 1944, winning a full college scholarship from the City of Philadelphia. She enrolled in the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and majored in Illustration. It was there she met her husband, a “Ghost Army” veteran of World War II. She graduated in 1948 and got married the following year. Her first job was as a staff illustrator for The Ladies Home Journal at Curtis Publishing in Philadelphia. Afterwards, she continued to freelance, creating illustrations for book and advertising clients. The Kennedys later moved from Philadelphia and bought a 250-year-old farm house in upper Bucks County. After the birth of her two children, she went back to college, getting her Art Education degree from the Philadelphia College of Art and later, a master's from Kutztown University. She taught in a variety of school systems and ages (Lehigh University, Philadelphia, Sellersville) and finally retired from Palisades school district in 1985. Before retiring, she was employed by the Pennsylvania State Department of Education to evaluate College and University Art Education curricula. The Kennedys were members of Richland Friends Meeting, Quakertown, and she taught First Day School for many years. They were well known for the epic picnics and parties. She enjoyed sketching, painting, her pets, the culinary arts, gardening, architecture, nature, music, and many crafts, including quilting. Her talents in this area were considerable. A high point in her life was taking a trip with friends to West Africa. The love of the people and culture of that area stayed with her all her life. After she and her husband retired to Vermont in 1985, they settled in and almost immediately began volunteering for their beloved town of Pittsfield. Helen and John were also docents for many years at the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, only retiring when their health started to fail. Helen also volunteered for many years at VINS (Vermont Institute of Science) also in Woodstock. Several years ago, the Kennedys moved to daughter Lynn's home in Bellows Falls, and then to the Cedar Hill Retirement Community in Windsor in 2009. She converted to Catholicism in her later years with great joy and peace. Memorial information: There will be no funeral service. Burial will be at the Vermont Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Randolph.
• Jonathan Edward Morse, 44, of Toms River, N.J. Died after a sudden illness on May 6, in Lancaster, Pa., while on his way to a business meeting. Husband of Lucie (Fontanella) Morse for nearly 15 years. Father of Nicholas and Gianna Morse. Brother of Erica Caffrey and her husband, Damien, of Keene, N.H. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Robert K. and Linda S. Morse, he had an impressive career in the financial world. He graduated from Vermont Academy in Saxtons River and went on to earn a B.S. in business and accounting from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. He most recently worked in investment sales for Dreyfus in New York City. He was the youngest president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Boston, and recently received the Presidents Club Award from Dreyfus. He was a proud member of Stellafane and the Springfield (Vt.) Telescope Makers, the oldest telescope-making club in the world. He was a boating, fishing, and golf enthusiast and loved to travel with his family. Most recently, he went on an astronomy expedition to view a solar eclipse in Australia and then on to explore New Zealand with his father and his son, Nicholas. Above all else, his greatest aspiration was to take care of his family and friends, of which he had many from all around the country. He thought big, lived big, talked big, and dreamed big. He lived his life with love and honesty. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held May 13 at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Toms River, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery in Toms River, N.J. Donations to New England Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in Westminster (kurnhattin.org).
• Ellen Minerva Pond, 91, of Brattleboro. Died May 10 at the Thompson House. Wife of the late Warren W. Pond for 44 years. Predeceased by four brothers and three sisters. Survivors include several nieces and nephews, as well as her extended family at both the Holton Home and Thompson House. She was born in Montague, Mass., the daughter of the late Allen and Marcia (Sexton) Burnham. She was raised and educated in Montague, graduating from Turners Falls High School. She worked for several years for Lewis R. Brown Photography and Stationary Shop on Main Street. She later worked as a proofreader at the former Book Press in Brattleboro. She was a former member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Bingham Chapter #30, in Brattleboro and was a longtime member of Centre Congregational Church. She enjoyed travel, knitting, and assisting with the tag sales at St. Michael's Episcopal Church. She also volunteered every summer at the annual AAUW Book Sales at Centre Congregational Church. Memorial information: Graveside committal services were conducted May 20 in Chesterfield West Cemetery on Poor Road in Chesterfield. Members of the Bingham Chapter #30, Order of the Eastern Star conducted a memorial service. Donations to The Holton Home, 158 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Arrangements are under the direction of Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
• Florie Scheintaub, 87, formerly of New York, N.Y. and New Paltz, N.Y. Died May 8. Wife of the late Irwin Scheintaub for more than 50 years, whom she met while employed as a social worker for the Department of Welfare in New York City. Their love was born amid the tribulations of family court. Mother of Leda Scheintaub and Ross Scheintaub. Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, daughter of Rubin and Lily Morgenbesser, sister of Sidney Morgan, Manny Morgan, and Monty Morgan. She was a lifelong New Yorker who spent the last eight months of her life in Brattleboro to be near her daughter, Leda, and son-in-law, Nash Patel, a treasured moment in time. She was an independent thinker and a voracious reader with a fiercely curious mind that reflected her social investigator background. She was a lover of libraries and show tunes, a rock-and-roller, an anti-capitalist, a yoga and qi gong enthusiast, a secular Jew, and an card-carrying Humanist. Memorial information: None provided.
• Wendell Louis Stetson, 83, of Rowe, Mass. Died May 8 at Poet's Seat Healthcare Center in Greenfield, Mass. Husband of Jane Bovie Stetson for nearly 60 years. Father of Eric Stetson of Keene, N.H. Brother of the late William, Gordon, and Barbara Stetson. Born in Hinsdale, N.H., the son of the late William and Helen (Koski) Stetson Sr. He was raised and educated in Hinsdale, graduating from Hinsdale High School, Class of 1949. He proudly served his country in the Navy during the Korean Conflict aboard the USS Stoddard. He was honorably discharged from active service at the rank of Machinist Third Class on Dec. 31, 1954. He worked as a switchman for New England Power Co., in Readsboro and Wilmington, from which he retired after 35 years of faithful service with the company. He was a member of the Tin Can Sailors, American Legion Post 172 in Orange, Mass., and was a former communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. Memorial information: Graveside committal rites and burial were conducted in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery. Donations to the Franklin County Dog Shelter, 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls, MA 01376. Atamaniuk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
• Suzanne Mary “Sue” Zumbruski, 69, of Vernon. Died May 7 at her home. Wife of George E. Zumbruski for nearly 50 years. Mother of Michael Zumbruski and Lisa Zumbuski, both of Vernon. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of Bernard and Alice (Hanley) Benjamin, she attended both St. Michael's Parochial School and Brattleboro Union High School. She worked as a sales clerk/cashier at the Lipton MiniMart on Upper Canal Street, starting work at the location more than 20 years ago when it was originally owned by Fleming Oil Company. Previously, she worked at the former Henry's Fruitland on Upper Canal Street. She was a faithful and devoted wife, a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and a friend to many. She was a lifelong communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church. With her family, she enjoyed spending time at her family's camp in Wells, Maine, and also enjoyed camping, word search puzzles, and time shared with her family, especially her grandchildren. Memorial information: In accordance with her final wishes, there are no formal funeral services or calling hours scheduled. Anyone who would like to pay their respects is invited to visit with her family at their home on Franklin Road. Donations to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, in care of Elaine Beam, Principal. Atamaniuk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
• A celebration of Priscilla Sherwood's life will take place at the Evening Star Grange in Dummerston Center on Sunday, May 31, starting at 12:30 p.m. Bring a dish, but only if you wish. BYOB, if desired.